Bakker

baker [noun] [de bakker, de bakkers] [‘bak-kur’]

Bakkers in de bakkerijBesides the person who bakes bread, in Dutch “bakker” is also used to refer to the bakery (shop), see the Examples. Note that a “bakery” is a “bakkerij” in Dutch. The ending in “ij” is common and you will see it in other words like “makelaardij”, “schoenmakerij”, “slagerij” etc. (it is comparable to the Spanish “ía”).

We use “warme bakker” to refer to a bakery where the bread is actually baked, instead of a shop where the bread is just sold but not baked.

Examples:
– “Liefie, ik ga even brood halen bij de warme bakker op de hoek.”
(“Sweetie, I’m going to get some bread at the (fresh) bakery at the corner.”)

– “Bakker zijn is een zwaar beroep, iedere dag om vier uur ‘s ochtends op…”
(“Being a baker is a tough profession, (one has to) get up at 4 o’clock in the morning every day …”)

– “Raad eens wie ik bij de bakker tegenkwam? Frank….met z’n nieuwe vriendin….”
(“Guess who I ran into at the bakery shop? Frank…with his new girlfriend…” Note that “eens” is not translated here, it means something like “one time” or “just”.)

Expressions:
– “Dat komt voor de bakker!”: “(Consider it) done!” Lit.: “That comes for the baker!”

Example:
– “Op een ochtend werd ik wakker, toen was alles voor de bakker.”
(“One morning I woke up, and everything was taken care of.”)

– “Zoete broodjes bakken”: to eat humble pie, to butter someone up, to suck up.
– “Er niks/niets van bakken”: to mess up.

Example:
– “De nieuwe spits van PSV bakt er niets van!”
(“PSV’s new forward stinks!”)

Related words:
– “Bakkerij”: bakery.
– “Bakken”: to bake.
– “Oven”: oven.
– “Slager(ij)”: butcher(‘s shop).

5 thoughts on “Bakker

  1. A question on your second example. Where is the verb “get up”? I see the word ‘op’ but not another part of the verb which I imagine should be there? Or does op act as a verb by itself in this context?

  2. “Iedere dag op om 4 uur” is short for “Ik moet iedere dag opstaan om 4 uur” = “Must get up at 4 a.m. each day”.
    I guess such a construction exists in English too?
    “Up, up and away… in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon…” comes to mind.

  3. “Iemand een poets bakken” is also used = “to play a trick/hoax on someone”.
    One step further: a “banketbakker” = confectioner, patissier
    Like in England, USA, Bakker (Baker) is a very comon Dutch surname. I dare say there are more Bakkers now than bakers…

  4. You will also hear:
    “Hoe laat moet je morgen op?”
    (“At what time do you have to get up tomorrow?”)
    So indeed “opstaan” is implied. But it still depends on context.

  5. Indeed you can use up (as in the songline) without a verb – but only for poetic reasons (also “”Up at eight you can’t be late). But in a sentence one would always say get (up). This little word is hugely useful and widespread in English (I got a bonus – he got sick, i got your letter) but does not have any single equivalent in Dutch. Rather it requires learning dozens (I think) of alternative verb forms – rather like “put” -and I have only mastered a few of either of them !!!

Comments are closed.